Has anyone tried Noslers 125gr ballistic tips in a 300 win mag???? I figured these screaming along at 3,400fps would make lighting strike hits on small game animals like goats. I'd expect the meat damage would be high

I have no experience with the exact combo you describe, but I have the following story to relate:

A couple of years back in a hunting camp in Utah, a gentleman was very proud of his combination of a .300 Wby and a very light, soft bullet. He could not stop telling us about how fast this combination was, and how accurately it shot (he had a hard time checking his sights before the hunt, but never mind...). Eventually, the person in question connected with a nice buck. As they brought it home in triumph, I noticed the many and seemingly superficial wounds on the deer. The story went, that the hunter had hit the buck, and had been told (by the guide) to shoot again. Eventually, he managed to kill it.

Light bullets at high speed can work spectacularly one day, but fail miserably the next day. A lot depends on the impact velocity and thus on the distance to the target of the day. I have a strong feeling your suggested combo would work exactly in this way. If you insist on shooting light bullets at very high velocities, you need to go to something like a Barnes TSX. They are predestined for this application, you simply can't tear them apart.

- mike

I use 100gr bullets in one of my 300Win's, dramatic results on PD's, they are the biggest animals I would shoot with them though.

My personal minimum with the 300WM has been 165gr. but I found that 180 and 200gr are a better choice. A 125 gr Ballistic Tip? No, thanks!

boyhowdylookwhaticando!!!

I shot a deer at 165 yds with my 300 and the meat around the shoulder was ruined all blood shot

quote:

Originally posted by fordnutter:
Has anyone tried Noslers 125gr ballistic tips in a 300 win mag???? I figured these screaming along at 3,400fps would make lighting strike hits on small game animals like goats. I'd expect the meat damage would be high

I shoot quite a few out of my 300 winmag pd gun. I am running them at 3800 out of a 30 inch barrel, but have taken them up faster than that. Absolutely spectacular results on pds up to 750 yds. After that they can slip through the smaller ones.

I can only assume you are talking about small feral goats?

Only someone who is really "sick" would use the 125 BT on a goat. I love it, can I come along?

Jim

if you really want a light bullet moving at blistering speed from a 300WinMag then I'd suggest the 130gr Barnes

At the speeds it'll be moving at I doubt it'll have any problems opening up.

the 125gr Ballistic Tip is intended as a varmint bullet at the speeds it can be driven at from a 30-06/308 class cartridge

If you really want to use the 125BT's on game launch it from a T/C in 30-30 or from a 300Savage.... or mabey just mabey from a 7.62x39(if yours shoots .308dia bullets)

I've seen exactly ONE Ballistic tip "Blow up" and that was a hot handloaded (chrono'ed at 3070fps) 165gr from a 30-06
It impacted at the top of the neck on a doe at 30yards and decapitated her, it was more or less the expected result and the point of aim was chosen accordingly.
You go armed for a long range shot and you get a deer at spitting distance.... (Or Vise-Versa) More proof that the hunting gods are a perverse lot...

AD

i had a 125 BT blow up on a deer when fired out of a ruger mini 30. i guess it was moving at around 2200 fps. slow. i was young and did not know it was varmint bullet. killed the deer on the follow-up, but the meat was a mess.

Thanks guys....I hear your message loud and clear. Small varmints yes otherwise stick to 150gr upwards. This forum is always a great place for experience. Think I'll just look at using 150grainers at 3,300 then.

Check the outrageous velocities at RBCD.net

Minus the story above of a blowup at 2200 fps.. I have seen it used quite effectively with no meat loss in 308, 300 Savage, 30/30 ( Single Shots) and in the 30/06 and 300 WinMag, with MVs running in the 2200 to 2400 fps range...

at Max 300 Win Mag velocities, it gives similar results to a scaled down RPG...

The right fast, light bullet can handle much more than small varmints successfully!

Read this thread to see more on this.

quote:

Originally posted by pdhntr1:

quote:

Originally posted by fordnutter:
Has anyone tried Noslers 125gr ballistic tips in a 300 win mag???? I figured these screaming along at 3,400fps would make lighting strike hits on small game animals like goats. I'd expect the meat damage would be high

I shoot quite a few out of my 300 winmag pd gun. I am running them at 3800 out of a 30 inch barrel, but have taken them up faster than that. Absolutely spectacular results on pds up to 750 yds. After that they can slip through the smaller ones.

I can only assume you are talking about small feral goats?

Only someone who is really "sick" would use the 125 BT on a goat. I love it, can I come along?

Jim

Jim,

You should be an Aussie with a attitude like that

What powder works best with the 130's in a 300WM?

Hey there if you go to the federal ammo website you'll see they are coming out with the 130 grain tsx tipped ammo it goes for about 50 bucks a box msrp, but you'd prolly be able to find it cheaper in a store that get stocks it.

Fordnutter,

I've shot them at 3500fps in my 30 MC (a sort of 30 Gibbs) with its 28" Black Mountain Barrel 1:14 twist. No probs at all with the bullet staying together. Accuracy is good too but I mainly shoot the 125gr TNT's. Accuracy just as good and much cheaper over here.

There is a custom gunsmith called Richard Franklin who's made a 300WSM on a BAT action, 30" Bartlein barrel 1:15 twist. I think he gets just under 4000 fps with the 125gr Nosler BT and over 4100 with the 110 Vmax. He told me that if you use the std twist for a WSM of 1:10 the bullets will break up at that kind of speed. But at 3400 I've had no problems in my own WSM. You can check out Richard's gun on AccurateShooter.com. He also has a video out called death in the green grass. I'll leave it to your imagination as to what its about.

Spectacular varmint gun.

Regards,
JohnT